Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: –
Category: Dog
The Myth
Near Hyōgo in Settsu Province lived a sake merchant named Chōshichi. Having lost both his parents and still unmarried, he lived in deep loneliness. To comfort himself, he began raising a small female pet dog, cherishing it greatly. He taught it tricks, fed it from the same bowls as humans, and even held it while sleeping at night.
At the urging of a friend, Chōshichi eventually married. From the moment his wife entered the household, the dog showed her hostility. It barked constantly, refused food from her, and sometimes tried to bite her. Thinking the animal only feared strangers, the couple tried to calm it with treats and patience, but its resentment only grew stronger.
One day, while the wife slept, the dog leapt at her throat. Though it only tore her clothing, the attack terrified her. Unable to endure living with the animal, she begged Chōshichi to get rid of it.
He tried to give the dog away, but no one would take such a dangerous creature. When it was abandoned far from the village, it always found its way back. Even when placed aboard a ship bound for Kyūshū, it jumped into the sea and swam home.
At last, with no other option, Chōshichi strangled the dog and buried it beneath a tree. After this, peace returned to the household.
Not long afterward, his wife became pregnant. When the child was finally born after days of difficult labor, the infant appeared strange. Though human in shape, its body and limbs were covered in thick hair, and its cries sounded like those of a dog. The baby died soon after birth. Following a proper funeral, nothing unusual troubled the household again.
Gallery
Sources
Tyz-Yokai Blog. (n.d.). Choshichi’s dog. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1069489801.html
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive